Introduction

Introduction

The GH series has always been the most serious of Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras, and the GH3 is the latest one in the series. Unlike most other mirrorless cameras, the GH3 doesn't pretend to not be like a DSLR, it is the most DSLR-like mirrorless system camera of them all; borrowing from the design of high-end DSLR cameras and offering them in a smaller package.

The GH3 is the sturdiest Panasonic MFT camera yet, being the first in their G-series to come with a magnesium alloy frame and a splash/dustproof design. Battery power has leaped to an impressive 500-540 images compared to the GH2's 320-340. If that power isn't enough, there's an optional integrated battery grip, another first for Panasonic's Lumix G line, which will effectively double battery life.

The GH3 also comes with controls. Lots of controls. There are a total of seven Function buttons; five are physical buttons while two are on the touch-screen. They have default controls, illustrated by their captions on the camera body, but each button can be customized. Dedicated controls abound, on the top there are three buttons for white balance, ISO and exposure compensation. An additional dial has been added on top of the camera, instead of the single rear dial with push function on the previous GH cameras.

The GH series is, of course, well-known for their video capabilities. The GH3 can shoot Full-HD 1080/60p (the NTSC version) or 50p (the PAL version) and at bit-rates as high as 72 Mbps. In addition, the GH3 can also shoot 30p (NTSC) or 25p (PAL) and 24p video. The GH3 can also now record in MOV (h.264) format as well as AVCHD, and you have a choice of compression between ALL-I or IPB. The GH3 also embeds SMPTE-compliant time codes to help synchronize footage, and a headphone jack has been added. Seriously, check out the table below to see how many more options you have with the GH3 versus a (unhacked) GH2.